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Lions have won 4 straight games against Indiana
Penn State defeated Indiana 83-74 on Saturday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center to sweep the season series from the Hoosiers. The Nittany Lions have won 4 straight games against Indiana dating back to last season, marking its longest win streak over the Hoosiers in 15 years.
First Half
The first half was tight, with Indiana attacking Penn State in the paint and the Lions forcing several Indiana turnovers. Penn State was inconsistent shooting from the floor for most of the half, but solid free throw shooting helped the Lions keep pace. The largest lead for either team was four points until Ace Baldwin’s layup put the Nittany Lions up 38-32 with 1:04 to play in the half. Penn State took a 40-33 lead into the intermission.
Second Half
Penn State grew the lead to 12 points early in the second half. D’Marco Dunn’s steal and layup in transition gave the Lions a 47-35 lead with 16:40 to play. Indiana clawed back into the game by continuing to attack inside, cutting the deficit to 52-49 with 12 minutes to play. Penn State immediately answered with a run aided by outstanding passing and a key steal by Ace Baldwin to push the lead back to 65-56 at the under-8 timeout. The Lions struggled to slow down Indiana’s interior offense, and the Hoosiers cut the lead to 72-67 with 2:58 to play. A huge four-point play by Zach Hicks gave Penn State a 78-67 lead with 1:49 left, and the Lions went 5/5 at the line in the closing seconds to prevent a Hoosiers comeback.
Player of the Game
Ace Baldwin, Jr- 23 points, 9 assists, 8/8 free throws, 7/12 FG, 4 steals
This was an easy pick. All five starters scored in double figures for PSU, but Baldwin was in control all day. Any time Indiana surged back in the game, Baldwin had a counterpunch on both sides of the ball.
Random Observations
- 8 is Great: Penn State has won 8 Big Ten games for the 4th time since the 2017-18 season. In the prior 26 seasons as a Big Ten member, the Lions accomplished that only five times.
- Crashing the Glass: Penn State conceded 50 paint points today, but the Lions broke even in rebounding (32-31 PSU) and recorded 9 offensive rebounds.
- Perimeter Advantage: Penn State was 9-21 from 3 in the game, compared to just 2-15 for Indiana. In the last 11 games, PSU is 93-235 (39.5%) from beyond the arc.
What’s Next
Penn State will travel to Iowa City on Tuesday to take on Iowa. Tipoff is scheduled for 9pm on Big Ten Network.
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By: Colin_Murphy
Title: Penn State 83, Indiana 74: Sweep
Sourced From: www.blackshoediaries.com/2024/2/24/24082245/penn-state-nittany-lions-mens-basketball-indiana-hoosiers-big-ten
Published Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2024 19:38:38 +0000
